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Carlow GAA thread

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Congratulations to Carlow's wonderful women footballers. A serious achievement, built on hard work, discipline and no shortage of character.

They have done the county proud. And it was great to see a large crowd there to support them today.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 1137 - 02/08/2026 13:57:44    2688450

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Replying To CarlowJuniorB:  "MLR are due their customary big game and after a drubbing last week, fenagh could get turned over here. But all depending on who's available for MLR as you said."
MLR are headed for relegation. You can see the dual clubs, and clubs from dual areas, really struggling in their secondary codes this year.

This was a predicable consequence of removing our wonderful split season.

Hopefully, it will be reinstated next year. But football should be allowed to go first, and it should rotate each year.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 1137 - 02/08/2026 19:51:39    2688486

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Replying To CARPS:  "MLR are headed for relegation. You can see the dual clubs, and clubs from dual areas, really struggling in their secondary codes this year.

This was a predicable consequence of removing our wonderful split season.

Hopefully, it will be reinstated next year. But football should be allowed to go first, and it should rotate each year."
Agree 100 percent

Ceatharlach7000 (Carlow) - Posts: 45 - 03/08/2026 11:47:54    2688530

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Replying To CARPS:  "MLR are headed for relegation. You can see the dual clubs, and clubs from dual areas, really struggling in their secondary codes this year.

This was a predicable consequence of removing our wonderful split season.

Hopefully, it will be reinstated next year. But football should be allowed to go first, and it should rotate each year."
There has to be a line between split season and not split season. If football goes first, lads who hurl won't pick up a hurl until the football is finished. When you're saying that secondary sports are struggling, who's struggling? Just MLR really and they are never consistent year on year because they're not football driven like hurling.

Looking at the rest, bagenalstown are doing better in the hurling results wise and incredibly unlucky in football results so far. Carlow town are flying in inter and junior. Myshall are hurling primarily but looks to be football first at the moment. Naomh brid was always going to be a massive step up. Ballinkillen 2 wins so far in the hurling.

It's not a perfect system but a fully split season also doesn't fully work. What id like to see are the playing numbers between hurling and football this year to last year and see what the actually drop off is.

CarlowJuniorB (Clare) - Posts: 204 - 03/08/2026 13:20:46    2688545

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Just looking back on the match reports over the weekend. The man who'd transform our county football team hasn't scored in the last two games.

Collio (Carlow) - Posts: 133 - 04/08/2026 13:25:51    2688635

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Replying To Collio:  "Just looking back on the match reports over the weekend. The man who'd transform our county football team hasn't scored in the last two games."
No it wasn't just one player missing. It was the captain, starting centre forward and starting midfielder missing but ok.

CarlowJuniorB (Clare) - Posts: 204 - 04/08/2026 16:03:59    2688656

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Replying To CarlowJuniorB:  "There has to be a line between split season and not split season. If football goes first, lads who hurl won't pick up a hurl until the football is finished. When you're saying that secondary sports are struggling, who's struggling? Just MLR really and they are never consistent year on year because they're not football driven like hurling.

Looking at the rest, bagenalstown are doing better in the hurling results wise and incredibly unlucky in football results so far. Carlow town are flying in inter and junior. Myshall are hurling primarily but looks to be football first at the moment. Naomh brid was always going to be a massive step up. Ballinkillen 2 wins so far in the hurling.

It's not a perfect system but a fully split season also doesn't fully work. What id like to see are the playing numbers between hurling and football this year to last year and see what the actually drop off is."
I was going to say Kildavin are struggling in hurling this year compare to last but then their football performances are as bad.

Bagenalstown seem to be to be the only dual club that's adopted well to keeping both codes going at a good level. Bigger numbers than most though. But probably no better than semi finalists in both competitions and with out without the split season that's probably as far as they could go in either anyway.

Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1892 - 04/08/2026 19:24:25    2688682

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It will be interesting to see how the bodies hold up for the likes of Bagenalstown and MLR. They definitely have the most dual players and both operating at senior level. Going through their teams last week, only 1 or 2 players on both teams are football only.

They could have to play 12 weeks in a row if they qualify for hurling semi finals and football quarter finals.

ACarlowGael (Carlow) - Posts: 51 - 05/08/2026 09:09:26    2688694

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Replying To ACarlowGael:  "It will be interesting to see how the bodies hold up for the likes of Bagenalstown and MLR. They definitely have the most dual players and both operating at senior level. Going through their teams last week, only 1 or 2 players on both teams are football only.

They could have to play 12 weeks in a row if they qualify for hurling semi finals and football quarter finals."
Crazy amount of games on players that have given commitment to the county this year. The town suffering bigtime for competing on both fronts. During last nights game against N Brid we looked like we were running out of bodies bigtime. Structure has to be looked at as its punishing the genuine GAA players with too many games and still 3 group games remaining this year over both codes before knockouts. EO whinge about lack of games yet proposed a bye in their new system to semi for top two, Everyone should play a q/f just like every other county, after 4 group games being enough surely.
And looking at this week fixtures some inter and junior teams have to play two games in these conditions, madness.
Wouldn't be as bad if the county board would look after the main pitch at least and not force players to play on concrete, Clubber making us look v bad in that regard.

Carlowtothecore1 (Carlow) - Posts: 166 - 10/08/2026 11:55:23    2689289

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Savage win for Naomh brid. Anyone know when was the last time they won a senior championship match must be before 2019 at least?

carlowfan10 (Carlow) - Posts: 2 - 10/08/2026 13:44:34    2689310

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Some win for NB last night and no fluke fully deserved. If I'm not mistaken a win v Mulhall next weekend puts them right back in it assuming Bagenalstown lose to SM. Is it head to head or scoring difference that decides places between two teams level on points. If H2H then last night was a very costly loss for the town.

Interesting and concerning also though to see the way Bagenalstown faded out in the second half with a strong win behind them and 4 points up but they had no legs left. As said above, the system we have now is going to kill any hope they have in both the SFC or SHC. They've already got some injuries with lads missing last night and now face a miss win game v SM next week. Every game they have coming up now for next 4 weeks without a break is virtually knock out. It's very unfair. I'd say lessons are being learned and interesting to see if they go all out next year for both or step back from one and do a MLR on it to try win a senior championship in one of other.

Another point I'd make on this issue is that I thought standard was poor last night for senior hurling. Not helped by a concrete dusty pitch for sure (county board surely have to water it now they probably assumed rain would come by now but it hasn't and it's not coming for next fortnight either) and not taking anything away from NB but that was a poor quality match last night. Another reason for me that indicates either the 5 game group format in both hurling and football is too much for dual players or else go back to the split season as the way things are it isn't working and whichever it is is going to lower standards and ultimately numbers playing both codes.

Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1892 - 10/08/2026 14:20:49    2689317

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Replying To Onion Breath:  "Some win for NB last night and no fluke fully deserved. If I'm not mistaken a win v Mulhall next weekend puts them right back in it assuming Bagenalstown lose to SM. Is it head to head or scoring difference that decides places between two teams level on points. If H2H then last night was a very costly loss for the town.

Interesting and concerning also though to see the way Bagenalstown faded out in the second half with a strong win behind them and 4 points up but they had no legs left. As said above, the system we have now is going to kill any hope they have in both the SFC or SHC. They've already got some injuries with lads missing last night and now face a miss win game v SM next week. Every game they have coming up now for next 4 weeks without a break is virtually knock out. It's very unfair. I'd say lessons are being learned and interesting to see if they go all out next year for both or step back from one and do a MLR on it to try win a senior championship in one of other.

Another point I'd make on this issue is that I thought standard was poor last night for senior hurling. Not helped by a concrete dusty pitch for sure (county board surely have to water it now they probably assumed rain would come by now but it hasn't and it's not coming for next fortnight either) and not taking anything away from NB but that was a poor quality match last night. Another reason for me that indicates either the 5 game group format in both hurling and football is too much for dual players or else go back to the split season as the way things are it isn't working and whichever it is is going to lower standards and ultimately numbers playing both codes."
Only hope for a change next year really is if EO don't make semis. If Btown wish to compete on both fronts next year, they'll have to pull the county players, keep them fresh for the 15 weeks in a row run, not ideal and would be a shame, as Carlow Co Board seem to pay lip service to county player welfare the clubs needs to take control.
Not ideal but that's where the Co. Board are pushing us.

Carlowtothecore1 (Carlow) - Posts: 166 - 10/08/2026 15:00:15    2689321

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Replying To Onion Breath:  "Some win for NB last night and no fluke fully deserved. If I'm not mistaken a win v Mulhall next weekend puts them right back in it assuming Bagenalstown lose to SM. Is it head to head or scoring difference that decides places between two teams level on points. If H2H then last night was a very costly loss for the town.

Interesting and concerning also though to see the way Bagenalstown faded out in the second half with a strong win behind them and 4 points up but they had no legs left. As said above, the system we have now is going to kill any hope they have in both the SFC or SHC. They've already got some injuries with lads missing last night and now face a miss win game v SM next week. Every game they have coming up now for next 4 weeks without a break is virtually knock out. It's very unfair. I'd say lessons are being learned and interesting to see if they go all out next year for both or step back from one and do a MLR on it to try win a senior championship in one of other.

Another point I'd make on this issue is that I thought standard was poor last night for senior hurling. Not helped by a concrete dusty pitch for sure (county board surely have to water it now they probably assumed rain would come by now but it hasn't and it's not coming for next fortnight either) and not taking anything away from NB but that was a poor quality match last night. Another reason for me that indicates either the 5 game group format in both hurling and football is too much for dual players or else go back to the split season as the way things are it isn't working and whichever it is is going to lower standards and ultimately numbers playing both codes."
Broadly agree with you there, Onion.

We are asking dual players to potentially play around 15 championship games (plus possible county final replays, I think?) in a few months, while training for both codes simultaneously, and flipping them for matches every couple of weeks.

At least in a split season (as with the Old Leighlin/Naomh Brid lads last year), it's mitigated somewhat by having clear runs in one sport, but the set up now in pure insanity.

I would suggest if they want to keep the current format, they should reduce the number of games by switching to a knock out systems, with one back door chance for early round losers.

Or a better, in my view, because we want players to have more games after training hard all year, is to go back to the split season, but rotate it. Let football go first next year. Hurling gets first dibs in 2028, and so on.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 1137 - 10/08/2026 15:29:16    2689330

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Replying To carlowfan10:  "Savage win for Naomh brid. Anyone know when was the last time they won a senior championship match must be before 2019 at least?"
Aaron Amond told KCLR that it's his 13th year hurling and his first win at senior level.

Wellnow (USA) - Posts: 2 - 10/08/2026 19:08:14    2689360

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Intermediate hurling championship shaping up nicely after tonight's matches. CTHC and Burren Rangers both 100% at the top. On this basis one of them is a likely championship winner meaning a 7th team into next years SHC which has to be good.

Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1892 - 10/08/2026 22:21:52    2689381

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Replying To CARPS:  "Broadly agree with you there, Onion.

We are asking dual players to potentially play around 15 championship games (plus possible county final replays, I think?) in a few months, while training for both codes simultaneously, and flipping them for matches every couple of weeks.

At least in a split season (as with the Old Leighlin/Naomh Brid lads last year), it's mitigated somewhat by having clear runs in one sport, but the set up now in pure insanity.

I would suggest if they want to keep the current format, they should reduce the number of games by switching to a knock out systems, with one back door chance for early round losers.

Or a better, in my view, because we want players to have more games after training hard all year, is to go back to the split season, but rotate it. Let football go first next year. Hurling gets first dibs in 2028, and so on."
Maybe there's another way instead of the complete split season like we had in recent years.

For me the biggest issue is dual players are playing too many competitive and unforgiving matches week after week and it's going to drive them away from one sport to save themselves for the other, or their clubs will effectively do it for them and not train at all for one sport and pay it lip service to it. 15 weeks of consecutive championship matches was mentioned earlier. And make that senior for some dual players and it's all the worse. We're a small county and we need dual players more than most other counties to keep the numbers up in both codes so we need to encourage and facilitate dual players. We've always had a great tradition of dual players (some outstanding ones like Quirke, Hayden, Nevin, Cullen to name some) and we should try to maintain that.

My suggestion is no player or team should as a rule play more than 3 championship matches per month. So that means reverting to the 2 groups of 4 set up for the SFC and IFC and JFC and in hurling unless there's 8 teams go with one group but each team plays no more than 3 group matches (to be drawn like football is at present).

Then split the hurling and football championships across the months. So for the first year, July is football only with each team playing their 3 championship matches, meaning all players have one weekend off in the month. Then August is hurling only and again no player or team has more than 3 championship matches that month. Then September and it's football only again with each team having no more than 3 championship matches, quarter final, semi and final. Some will have two and some only one but that's championship for you. Then October is back to hurling only and again similarly no team has more then 3 matches. Reverse the order the following year and so on. This way everyone is crystal clear each year eg July is football only, August is hurling only and so on. And no more than 3 matches per month. I think this keeps both football and hurling moving through the better summer months and not waiting for ages for it to start and it gives players and teams a bit of breathing space. 15 weeks in a row is just mad.

Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1892 - 10/08/2026 22:43:16    2689385

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Replying To Onion Breath:  "Intermediate hurling championship shaping up nicely after tonight's matches. CTHC and Burren Rangers both 100% at the top. On this basis one of them is a likely championship winner meaning a 7th team into next years SHC which has to be good."
Great to see some new blood in the championship. Would really like to see CTHC come up because it might be a shot in the arm that the town needs for hurling.

CarlowJuniorB (Clare) - Posts: 204 - 11/08/2026 10:19:52    2689411

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Replying To Onion Breath:  "Maybe there's another way instead of the complete split season like we had in recent years.

For me the biggest issue is dual players are playing too many competitive and unforgiving matches week after week and it's going to drive them away from one sport to save themselves for the other, or their clubs will effectively do it for them and not train at all for one sport and pay it lip service to it. 15 weeks of consecutive championship matches was mentioned earlier. And make that senior for some dual players and it's all the worse. We're a small county and we need dual players more than most other counties to keep the numbers up in both codes so we need to encourage and facilitate dual players. We've always had a great tradition of dual players (some outstanding ones like Quirke, Hayden, Nevin, Cullen to name some) and we should try to maintain that.

My suggestion is no player or team should as a rule play more than 3 championship matches per month. So that means reverting to the 2 groups of 4 set up for the SFC and IFC and JFC and in hurling unless there's 8 teams go with one group but each team plays no more than 3 group matches (to be drawn like football is at present).

Then split the hurling and football championships across the months. So for the first year, July is football only with each team playing their 3 championship matches, meaning all players have one weekend off in the month. Then August is hurling only and again no player or team has more than 3 championship matches that month. Then September and it's football only again with each team having no more than 3 championship matches, quarter final, semi and final. Some will have two and some only one but that's championship for you. Then October is back to hurling only and again similarly no team has more then 3 matches. Reverse the order the following year and so on. This way everyone is crystal clear each year eg July is football only, August is hurling only and so on. And no more than 3 matches per month. I think this keeps both football and hurling moving through the better summer months and not waiting for ages for it to start and it gives players and teams a bit of breathing space. 15 weeks in a row is just mad."
Would you change the hurling championships? It could go to 7 next year and that's 6 matches pre semis and final, you're looking at 8 matches.

If you changed the football back to two groups of 4, you're still looking at 3 matches max with groups, quarters, semis and final. Players would still be looking at possibly 13/14 matches. Also championships going into October/November can be a disaster with weather.

If you have groups in both codes, do groups one month each and then alternate knock out games. Quarters two weeks in a row, weekend off, semi finals next two weekends, weekend off and then finals. Finals then first two weekends of October at worst

CarlowJuniorB (Clare) - Posts: 204 - 11/08/2026 11:01:44    2689424

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Replying To Onion Breath:  "Maybe there's another way instead of the complete split season like we had in recent years.

For me the biggest issue is dual players are playing too many competitive and unforgiving matches week after week and it's going to drive them away from one sport to save themselves for the other, or their clubs will effectively do it for them and not train at all for one sport and pay it lip service to it. 15 weeks of consecutive championship matches was mentioned earlier. And make that senior for some dual players and it's all the worse. We're a small county and we need dual players more than most other counties to keep the numbers up in both codes so we need to encourage and facilitate dual players. We've always had a great tradition of dual players (some outstanding ones like Quirke, Hayden, Nevin, Cullen to name some) and we should try to maintain that.

My suggestion is no player or team should as a rule play more than 3 championship matches per month. So that means reverting to the 2 groups of 4 set up for the SFC and IFC and JFC and in hurling unless there's 8 teams go with one group but each team plays no more than 3 group matches (to be drawn like football is at present).

Then split the hurling and football championships across the months. So for the first year, July is football only with each team playing their 3 championship matches, meaning all players have one weekend off in the month. Then August is hurling only and again no player or team has more than 3 championship matches that month. Then September and it's football only again with each team having no more than 3 championship matches, quarter final, semi and final. Some will have two and some only one but that's championship for you. Then October is back to hurling only and again similarly no team has more then 3 matches. Reverse the order the following year and so on. This way everyone is crystal clear each year eg July is football only, August is hurling only and so on. And no more than 3 matches per month. I think this keeps both football and hurling moving through the better summer months and not waiting for ages for it to start and it gives players and teams a bit of breathing space. 15 weeks in a row is just mad."
My original post was not let through so I'll tone it down.

I agree with a lot of your proposals. If Carlow Town or Burren Rangers win Intermediate, you have a 7 team SHC. That's not workable in the current calendar as you need 7 rounds to run off the round robin so an additional 2 rounds. I'd make an 8 team championship and promote both of them to give you the two groups of 4. Introduce quarter finals if you want an have the bottom teams play a Senior B Final with the winners going through to Leinster Intermediate Championship.

There's talk of the Joe McDonagh final being pushed back to early July and next year will have a semi final between 2nd and 3rd which makes our current structure even more unworkable.

IHC would consist of Kildavin/Clonegal, MLR 2, Bagenalstown 2, St. Mullins 2, Naomh Eoin 2 and maybe Carlow Town 2 or Ballinkillen 2.

The current SFC format means a team might play 8 games (excluding replays) to win a county title. That's 1 or 2 too many especially in a dual county. Laois teams play a maximum of 6 games to win a SFC. Every team plays Round 1 and 2, if you win both then into quarter final. If you lose one you end up in Round 3, winners of Round 3 into a quarter final so 6 games max.

I feel like there's a lot of time wasted in September and October as well. This is current schedule:
6 September: Hurling Semi Finals
13 September: Football Quarter Finals
27 September: Hurling Finals
4 October: Football Semi Finals
18 October Football Finals
8 November: Leinster Club Hurling Championship
15 November: Leinster Club Football Championship (anomaly this year as bye into QF, prelim round is on 1 November)

I know they were trying to be fair on teams if they got to latter end of football and hurling championships that they would have a break but I think it would be more beneficial building break weeks into the group stages.

All group games currently finish on weekend of 30 August.

13 September: Football Quarter Finals
20 September: Hurling Semi Finals
27 September: Football Semi Finals
11 October: Hurling Finals
18 October: Football Finals
This leaves weekend of 4 October open for hurling or football semi final replays.

This gives you a week break between group stages and knockouts and barring no replays, a 3 weeks build up to county finals. If we reduce the group stages by 2 games (1 in each code at least) this allows breaks in the group stage.

ACarlowGael (Carlow) - Posts: 51 - 11/08/2026 12:30:50    2689444

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Replying To CarlowJuniorB:  "Would you change the hurling championships? It could go to 7 next year and that's 6 matches pre semis and final, you're looking at 8 matches.

If you changed the football back to two groups of 4, you're still looking at 3 matches max with groups, quarters, semis and final. Players would still be looking at possibly 13/14 matches. Also championships going into October/November can be a disaster with weather.

If you have groups in both codes, do groups one month each and then alternate knock out games. Quarters two weeks in a row, weekend off, semi finals next two weekends, weekend off and then finals. Finals then first two weekends of October at worst"
Yeah no way could we do what we're doing this year I'd there's a 7 team SHC so something has to give. Even as it is with a 6 team championship meaning 5 matches and 5 also from an 8 team football championship it's too much. It means dual players are playing 10 group matches before even a quarter final is played.

As mentioned above maybe we should just go with 8 teams also in the SHC. I'd be concerned there could be a lot of one sided games but the structure would be far better. In SHC and SFC have 2 groups of 4 so every team plays 3 group matches in hurling and football so dual players have 6 matches over July and August, not 10 as at present. All the more reason to do this is if Joe Mc spreads out into early July then assuming we'll be at the business end of it the pressure is going to get even worse trying to keep both competitions going and not kill dual players altogether.

So whatever happens I think we'd all agree the current system this year has to change somehow for next year. Whether we do what Carps says and go back to the complete split season or not either way we still need to reduce the number of games for dual players.

Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1892 - 11/08/2026 22:56:04    2689510

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